Hardness of the Heart
by The Cheezit Faerie
Summary: As a recorder of heaven, Lavi-the angel who calls himself this-is tasked with recording events in heaven and earth alike. He's tasked with heaven's need to record the rise of demons serving Carreau. Carreau's top assistant, Navi, is tasked with throwing off the angel and his records, but she gains an unhealthy curiosity that leads to her humanity and downfall. AU. Lavi X OC
1. Tell me a Story

**Disclaimer**: D. Gray-Man characters belong to Katsura Hoshino; method of transforming a demon into more of a human belongs to Supernatural

**Claimer**: I own the plot and OCs

**Warnings**: AU; _POSSIBLE_ brief flashes of OOC in Lavi depending on your views

**Pairings**: Lavi X OC

* * *

"Allen, can you and Lavi go out and get some groceries to make dinner?! Komui and I are helping Jerry out this time and he has a list of the stuff he still needs!"

In a large mansion, originally belonging to a now-deceased billionaire Cross Marian, lives orphans. The large house has been converted into an orphanage. It's rather peculiar in its own sense that not much people know about outside of its walls.

This story, for now, will focus in on a small band of orphans. A white-haired teen with a scar on his left eye turns to an incredibly unique redhead with an eye patch over his right eye. They're currently in the library, studying up for an upcoming test.

Well, Allen Walker is whereas Lavi is reading up on random books over a vast overview of the history of Malaysia.

A Chinese girl named Lenalee Lee was the one who called up to them from the stairs. The both of them leave their things and leave the room to go and meet her at the stone steps where she's tapping her foot with her hands on her hips and looking rather impatient. She's wearing an apron, her usual long hair pulled back into a bun instead of sporting her usual pigtails.

"Are you sure I have to do it? Can't you have Kanda go instead? I'm supposed to be studying," Allen whines as they approach the dark-haired girl. Lenalee gives a mock sympathetic smile as she tilts her head and says, "Aw, you poor thing. You have to study to ace a test! I would ask Kanda, but I can't find him. I think he's at fencing practice or something so I have to rely on you two!"

Lenalee hands Lavi the list, who has been silent as his mind is processing the information he's learned and placing events and dates in their proper place inside the organization of his mind. Briefly scanning the list and memorizing it easily enough, he hands it to the white-haired teen and Allen groans again. Either way they leave to their rooms while Lenalee leaves to the kitchen so everyone can begin to get ready.

Five minutes later, Allen and Lavi meet up at the doors. They leave the orphanage and its large front lawn, choosing to walk to town since neither wants to believe they have anything better to do. Allen needs a break from studying for four hours anyway.

"Man, if Jerry is having us go get extra stuff then he's throwing a big banquet. I wonder what the special occasion is," Allen thinks out loud. He moves his face deeper inside of the tan plaid scarf around his neck and shivers under his black coat. A cold gust throws Allen's white locks into his face, making him grunt in annoyance.

Lavi scratches his head as he looks at the ground, watching all of the dead and colorful leaves dancing along the ground in response to being pushed by the wind. His heart feels heavy as of late, and he's been doing everything he can to distract himself from it by reading up on the history of random countries. It's been working up until now and he feels a glance from Allen, wanting him to speak up.

"Thanksgiving is soon so I think Jerry is probably preparing a few things beforehand," Lavi says with a shrug.

"You must have seen a lot of Thanksgivings in your time, Lavi. We got a while before we get to the store, so why not tell a story?" Allen asks as a bright and expectant smile comes onto his face. "Were you there recording the very first Thanksgiving between the pilgrims and Native Americans?"

Lavi can't help the light laugh from coming out at Allen's curiosity. The teen can never get tired of the fact that Lavi is actually an angel.

Truth be told, the orphans that come to the Marian Orphanage have the ability to be picked out and told about the history and existence of demons and angels and their long-standing war between evil and good. Right now, a few of the orphans are training up to be exorcists, although they don't plan on going down the path of becoming pastors or Sisters in a nunnery.

Lavi, himself, is an angel of the lord. He's been alive for as long as he can remember. He served God in being a recorder of events in heaven as well as important happenings down on earth. It's given him photographic memory and the ability to remember things much better than his angelic brethren.

As of recently, he's taken it upon himself to do things his own way. Instead of recording things up in heaven like he has in the past, Lavi has placed himself among the humans to get a better feel over how to properly record their important events. He chose this special orphanage because it better fits his circumstances, and there's also the fact that he somehow managed to gain a guide of the humans.

The old man who's taken it upon himself to look after this redheaded angel is called Bookman.

Only a few people know of Lavi's real origins.

"Come on, Lavi, tell me a story! I don't see what it could hurt and I gotta get my head off of all the chemistry I've been studying! You've met Satan, and you've even been around since Lucifer. Surely you've seen it all! It must have been the craziest thing you've done—meeting Satan!"

"I'm not sure that's the most surprising experience I've had, actually…" Lavi says with a low chuckle. He strayed off from that thought, though, as a frown places itself upon his face and he looks over to the trees that have already lost all of their leaves. Allen nudges Lavi's arm to get his attention again to ask, "Then what's the craziest things you've ever experienced?"

"I guess this is as good a time as any to tell someone a story…" Lavi says with a sigh. "Maybe talking about it will get a load off my shoulders. Have you ever heard of a demon turning human again?"

* * *

This series might be slow to update, but updated it will be.

I apologize now that the OC hasn't been introduced yet. In the next chapter she'll make her appearance. This first chapter will probably be mentioned in the last chapter of this series, so DON'T pay much mind to this update besides the importance of introducing this series.


	2. A Serial Killer's Demons

**Disclaimer**: D. Gray-Man characters belong to Katsura Hoshino

**Claimer**: I own the plot and OCs

**Warnings**: AU; one mention of Lavi_  
_

**Pairings**: Lavi X OC

* * *

We go into the past with the telling of this story.

The 21st century has a special place in providing a thriving population on the hardness of the heart. Left and right anyone can see just what is meant by that when looking for the worst in people.

Carreau, a previous Prince of Powers, now is a demon who is tasked with tempting man with a hardness of the heart. Due to supply and demand of this century, he is more than happy that he's one of the demons who have more work. He needs countless assistants to keep up with the times.

There is a demon there when a person ignores the homeless. There's a demon who serves Carreau when teen girls bully outcasts. There's a demon present when you cheat people out of what is rightfully theirs. There is a demon lurking when humans steal.

There's always a demon present when humankind is, in general, cruel to other humans. With the turn in popularity for materialization, there has been a quick response from the demons upon seeing such an opportunity. Unfortunately, this has finally caught the attention of the angels from heaven as seeing this as a great problem.

To not show the kindness of heart, not helping those in need even if it be a little, can be considered a sin.

And so during this time we focus in on a serial killer. They're prime "breeding" grounds for demon appearances. An assistant to Berith—originally prince of the Cherubim who now resides in the first hierarchy of hell now tempts men to commit homicide—and an assistant to Balban—a demon of delusion—are just a few to name that hover around an thirty-four year old man who has taken men and women alike who are related to social service jobs and children, with dark brown hair and green eyes.

An assistant for Carreau is ever more present than the other demons. Just like her master, she leads men to hardness of the heart.

The serial killer currently has got a male constrained by leather straps to a metal table. The man is trying to scream but is muffled with a sock in his mouth and duct tape to keep it inside. This serial killer is currently sterilizing his equipment, going through meticulous measures in getting rid of any evidence that can be left behind as he does his work. A variety of saws lie on a tray nearby the table with a few clothes lying nearby.

This serial killer takes these people, cuts off some of their limbs to make them look smaller, reattaches the extremities to the shortened stumps, and does his best to make them look like children.

He's been called the Doll Maker.

He used to feel guilt and regret upon hearing the screams of his ten victims so far. With Carreau's assistant's help, though, he's gotten numbed to the cries of pain and thinks nothing of it as if he's slaughtering pigs to be eaten.

"_You know he has a wife and ten year old daughter… I think maybe his darling little girl will love having a brother, don't you_?" Carreau's assistant whispers inaudibly.

The brown-red-haired girl lets a small malicious smile form on her face. Her words aren't actually heard, but the very idea forms inside the serial killer's head when he starts to wonder if it's a good idea to place this man on his family's doorstep, as the Doll Maker started to do after his third victim. The demon's empty hazel eyes look over the body of the naked forty-something man lying on the table with struggling that has yet to cease.

Her lean slouching body hovers over the serial killer who's sitting down on a heightened stool as he moves onto another saw to sterilize and clean. In the lighting her white skin looks sickly pale, making her freckles stand out around her nose and under her eyes. The black colored tattoos on her fingers stand out, four rings on each finger, as she gently keeps her unseen hands on the serial killer's shoulders.

Despite the two names this demon has had, she prefers to be called Navi instead.

The tall, lean killer stands up with saw in hand. Muffled screams become more urgent. Navi has to make room for a few other demons leaning in to whisper honeyed words into the man's brain as he approaches the social worker. They whisper over how the sacrifice for happy children is necessary, and this man doesn't know it just yet. They whisper how this killer is the only best candidate to deliver such happiness and that no one understands his genius intellect just yet.

The demons cackle in glee as blood gushes from the bites of the saw digging into human flesh and muscle. A few scream right in the victim's face in turn, even though they can't be heard. Navi's small smile never fades as she backs away and leaves the morgue altogether.

She knows very well that the serial killer would be caught tomorrow when he plans on dropping off the body since the police have caught on to him. The killer knows this as well and plans to make this last victim a work of art. It's time for Navi to move on to a new human who will offer up plenty of cold shoulders and ignorance of people's suffering in this world.

Hazel eyes look up toward the sky, small malevolent smile still present. She takes in the full pleasure in killing off God's child. This victim wasn't a very church-going sort of man and so now his soul belongs to hell. Part of it would go into Carreau's possession since Navi, his assistant, has had a hand in this destruction.

The smile drops and Navi turns her gaze from the cloudy sky. When someone is being killed by the Doll Maker she prefers that it be sunny so that God's sight is "clearer," but she can tolerate the clouds since light isn't always her most favored part of the day. Upon looking out onto the road and trees near the morgue, she sees a redhead walking by and stopping to look at her.

He looks so normal, but pulsating under his skin she can see a weird translucent glow to him. The two stop and stare at each other for a moment, considering the meeting between demon and angel. Just as the demon can see the redheaded angel, the heavenly host can see this demon with something almost like shade pumping just under her skin.

Navi raises a hand and waves to the green-eyed teen-looking angel. He continues to stare at her, and it's odd to see an angel at such a time. Navi pays it no real mind like usual. She feels that green eye watching her as she turns her back on the redhead and goes back toward the morgue and around a corner only to disappear from the area and end up in a graveyard in Ireland, somewhat near the city of Dublin.

Every so often the demon is pulled to an old, beaten and poor excuse for a grave marker. She crouches down, running long fingers over the long-ago worn name on the gravestone.

_Aislin Gallagher  
__1151-1169_

The rest is unreadable. Despite this, Navi has memorized the small message printed in Gaelic. Lately, though, as much as she tries to remember it the wording starts to slip from her mind so she does her best not to think about it too much. She knows for a fact that it's just a small prayer followed by a saying that she was a beloved daughter and sister.

"You're here early."

Standing up quickly and turning, Navi stands taller instead of hunching her shoulders as she usually tends to do. She holds her chin up higher when coming face-to-face with Carreau, the demon who's her master.

Carreau, in his current form, is a man standing at six feet. He has slicked back black hair with knowing green eyes. He's wearing a suit and looks more like a clean shaven and crude CEO businessman. It's acceptable and normal considering how popular he is among the demons in this day and age. His presence is imposing and hard to ignore, giving a person the feeling that they've done something wrong no matter what it is they do and that their failures are out and exposed for him to see.

Chances are that might be right.

Navi gives a low bow and greets, "Your Majesty."

It's a title she gave to him that he doesn't deserve, but he seems to like her sucking up seeing as he's made her his assistant to top all the others.

"Is there a reason you're here instead of with the serial killer?" Carreau asks.

Navi stands up straight again, keeping her gaze down at Carreau's knees as she answers, "The police will catch him tomorrow and I figured that I could move on to someone else. Maybe coming sooner than later can earn me a nice chance at a soul. Who knows?"

"I need you to keep an eye out from now on, since I know how wrapped up in your job you can get." Carreau takes long strides forward and he sets a hand on Navi's headstone. He looks at his hand and crinkles his nose as he wipes away some dirt and the remnants of moss. He turns his green eyes to the brown-red-haired demon and says, "You have to pay attention from now on. I've gotten information that the angels are starting to watch our movements since there's so many of us nowadays. If at all possible, I want you to find ways to throw off their records or lead them astray so they don't try to interfere in any way."

"I saw an angel when I left the morgue today," Navi mentions. "It was a redhead. Now that I think about it, I remember he was holding a few books and a lot of notebooks. I think he might have been one of those angel recorders."

Upon hearing this news, the higher ranked male demon heaves a sigh as he analyzes his fingernails in discontent and disappointment. Navi, who was using her hands as she speaks, quickly clasps them together and looks down again upon seeing that look on her master's face.

"Looks like they're more knowledgeable than I was brought to believe. From now on, if you see those angels again, I want you to try to distract them if at all possible. Keep them focused on you so that they're information mainly comprises of what you do so their numbers start to go down, hopefully."

"You can count on me."

"Of course I can."

Looking back up, the redhead looks around but doesn't see the tall businessman anymore. This is the first time she's had to come into any real contact with any angels and it naturally makes her nervous, but curiosity starts to rear its head within her mind as she thinks of ways she can mess around with angels. Perhaps this would prove her competence to Carreau and that would bring her chances at taking his place ever closer.

_Your position will be mine soon enough_, she thinks as she crouches down beside her gravestone again. A morose smile forms on her face again as she runs her fingers over her old name in a previous life as she thinks, _And then __you'll__ be the one to bow down to __me_.

* * *

In the first chapter there were a few warnings and disclaimers, but those are technically foreshadows of what's to come next. From now on I won't put those disclaimers unless I'm using them.

Later chapters there will be more Lavi. Like my previous chapter, this is more of an introduction.

Reviews would be appreciated! I would really love to get some constructive criticism as well!


	3. It's a New Day

**Disclaimer**: D. Gray-Man characters belong to Katsura Hoshino; Carreau is not my own creation

**Claimer**: I own the plot and OCs

**Warnings**: AU; one curse word_  
_

**Pairings**: Lavi X OC

* * *

Some demons are not necessarily acquainted with the workings of humans when they have a job. Considering when one demon has a job, they can sometimes get side-jobs when told to do things. The way things work with some, though, is that they don't have to work every single day of their "life." It's a rather luxurious existence, when given some thought.

Despite being told to throw off the angels, Navi's side-job doesn't come into play for at least a month. A nice thirty days is spent just goofing off. Lazy hazy days are spent leaning over people's shoulders whispering that they just need to ignore people in need of a little kindness.

"_Ignore them_."

That's her favorite phrase, especially when people listen. Life could literally never get better unless she earns a soul fair and square—although it's wonderful to cheat, too.

Alas, sometimes work does end up getting a little slow. Those days mostly end up being during "projects."

When projects are mentioned, it's when there's the process of damning a soul down to hell. It's like when demons gather around serial killers until they die. For now, it's currently working alongside comrades in dragging down a CEO who's depressed, but a rather ruthless man. Lately he's having suicidal thoughts, and that often makes demons flock to a person. Those people are like lighthouses. They aid demons into finding them.

And now, what with Navi listening to a song that puts her in a completely good mood, she can't help but move her right pointer finger in time with the beat as the beginning of a song flows into her ears.

_It's a new dawn,_

_It's a new day,_

_It's a new life,_

_And I'm feeling good._

To demons, humans can surprisingly make things that match each mood.

Even demons can be up with the times. With an iPod in her pocket and headphones over her ears, Navi seem to be lazy as she moves a finger in time with the beat of a song. Every single song she has was downloaded illegally and she didn't care, since she is one of the very vessels of sin and all that is considered bad under God's eyes.

A honeyed voice smooths itself in through Navi's ears, caressing her senses as she close eyelids over her hazel irises and sound waves kiss the temporal lobe of the brain associated with auditory senses. Oh yes, being alive for so long has its advantages with intelligence. Despite her rotten personality and existence, she could thoroughly love a person with such sophisticated tastes in how to make music.

It's when she hears the sound of the rich trumpets blasting deliciously into her ears that she catches sight of a slightly familiar head of red hair.

A force of good can never not sense a force of evil. A green eye settles on the demonic assistant, the other covered by an eye patch. It feels like a punch to her stomach that brings up nausea when she lays her eyes on that slight light radiating underneath skin. The redheaded angel regards the dark-haired demon with what seems to be a blank expression, sizing her up just as she's doing the same. Navi holds her chin up higher even though she is nothing but a blight on the face of the earth compared to this heavenly host.

Ignoring the humans passing by, she takes a few long strides toward the tall and lean teenage-looking fake human. Opera blasts through headphones as Navi can feel her mouth ease into a confident smile.

_I'm better than you in every single way_, she chants at the angel in her head. _I can do so much that you can't. I'll even show you right now_.

Pressing pause on her iPod, pulling the earplugs out of her ears, she's hit with the sounds of cars and people having conversations as they pass by and takes no notice of her besides to alter their path to avoid running into the woman. Oh yes, they can see her. Navi don't mind it, though. She stops in front of the angel, never having broken eye contact.

"This building here is quite a sight to take in, isn't it?" She lets her smile twist into something more polite. The angel follows the demon's lead as he gives an equally polite smile compared to her arrogance as he replies, "I don't think it's as nice as something like the Taj Mahal. What's a young lady like you doing in taking interest in architecture?"

It can't be helped when the condescending laugh escapes as Navi covers her mouth with a hand as if that would take away insult to injury as she manage to say, "I think we both know, don't we, angel? These days I go by Navi. What might your name be?"

"You can call me Lavi."

"What brings you to this side of town, angel? You don't mind the term of endearment, do you?"

"I think we both know, don't we?"

Navi frowns upon having her own words thrown back at her. Her normally serious face, with a twinge of having too much confidence, reappears at Lavi's sass. In response to her reaction, an almost lazily content smile appears on his face, but she could see through that fake mask of his so well.

_Damn angels_, Navi finds herself thinking. "Want a tour, angel? Or are you not able to keep yourself from being seen?"

"A tour would be nice."

"Then come on, and try to keep up, angel."

The redhead turns on her heels, making the redheaded angel follow her as they go into the building through the door that some human man is holding open for a female. No one turns a single flick of the eyes toward the two teen-looking people that enter into the building. Navi, feeling like playing around, has a somewhat serious face as she wanders around the main floor pointing out certain places to the glowing angelic teen boy. He takes in every word with a simple nod or sound of acknowledgement.

It takes hours before they reach the top floor since the demon is literally giving a tour of every single floor of the building. Lavi knows exactly what she's doing, and she knows that he knows. The best part for her is that he has enough of a polite personality that he doesn't say a thing.

By the time they get to the top, the CEO the demons have been swarming has left the premise with his personal entourage right over his shoulders and following his every move.

Navi goes and sits down on her victim's desk, folding her legs Indian-style as she holds out her arms in a grandiose gesture saying, "And here we have the CEO's office, as you should have been able to tell. I'm not totally against having some… _fun_ in here~ Or maybe I can bring a girl in here and we can sin all over the place~"

"Why take interest in this building?" Lavi asks, completely ignoring Navi's faux advances as his green eye looks around the whole-floor office.

_It's now or never_, Navi tells herself. It's time to throw off the angels. And so the sun-kissed demon shrugs as she looks around as well saying in a matter-of-fact tone, "Buildings like these are prime 'breeding' grounds for demons like us. We excel in the Hardness of the Heart. We thrive on people who are cut-throat within the business world."

He doesn't have to know what the demons do to score souls and this information should be free to know if the angels take chances and actually… _talk_ to lower-leveled demons for information.

_Perhaps I can make us sound more dangerous and numerous than we really are so they don't mess with us_, Navi reasons with herself. So the accidental arrogant and almost cruel smile forms itself on her face as she says, "Considering the century and how self-entitled everyone thinks they are I would say that you'd find more of us than you'd find of any other demon. Wouldn't you agree angel?"

"Maybe…" Lavi muses to himself as he wanders over to a counter with some glasses filled with expensive liquor. The both of them know that there is much less kindness in the world than there's ever been before. The redhead heaves a sigh as he says, "I hate to admit it, but that might actually be true."

"And how well are you thinking you'll be able to record those numbers then?" Navi inquires. "Just in this building alone I doubt you'd find less than one hundred of my kind here. Every person should at least have one demon under Carreau every single time they do something… unkindly."

"Then maybe I should start working on this building first, right? That'd make the most sense," Lavi says as he turns to look Navi straight in the eyes. He can see her large grin falter upon hearing this.

"Do you really think you're going to get accurate results if you're wandering around here? Wouldn't you expect demons to steer clear of your kind, angel? Don't you have a shred of common sense?"

Lavi heaves a sigh, opening one of the liquor glass bottles and taking a whiff of the scent that wafts out as he asks, "Well, _you_ are talking to me. Why should the others be any different?"

That seems to strike a chord in the Irish demon. The grin disappears completely to make room for a scowl as she stands up off the desk, approaching the angel with her finger pointed toward in an almost threatening manner as she hisses, "I _am_ different from the others you rat with wings!"

"The sin of pride and wrath. You demons really do sin left and right," Lavi says as a lazy smile comes onto his face.

It would seem he was looking for a reaction, and he got it. Navi forces her shoulders to lower themselves as she takes a deep breath, smoothing her hair down. She turns away from the redhead, making her way over to the large leather chair behind the desk. She eases herself into it and props her feet up onto the desk as hazel eyes stare down the redhead who puts the glass plug back into the liquor glass bottle.

"How old do you think that is?" she asks.

"I don't know. I'm not one to know about alcohol all that much, ya know? It's sort of frowned-upon between angels… some of the time."

"Tell you what, angel, if you ever feel the need to sin then maybe you can look me up and we can grab a drink. I won't even give you the hard stuff if that's not what you want," Navi offers with what she hopes to be a friendly and open smile.

"I doubt that'd happen."

"How's about I show you another building that I know of quite well?"

She only offers this because she knows the CEO of the other building is also gone for the day. Lavi turns to her, his stare revealing nothing as he simply shrugs. Navi stands up, taking this as a cue that he'll amuse her and go along with her. The two redheads leave the office and head off to go and check out the 'breeding' grounds for other demons that serve under Carreau.

* * *

Huh. It's been a while since I've last updated. Being in college and then going on break really makes a person lazy. I don't know when I'll be able to update again, but chances are it might not be too soon seeing as I'm supposed to get a part-time job sometime.

Anyway, please leave reviews that are constructive criticism or just to say if you liked one part in the story!

Thank you!


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